Fires Near Western Coast and Cloud Streets, Mexico – April 28th, 2012

Lake Chapala, visible near the center of the right edge, appears bright silvery white due to sun glint in this image of northwestern Mexico. The southern tip of the Baja California peninsula extends into the upper left quadrant of the image. Upon opening the full image, plumes of smoke several wildfires can be seen by the mountains parallel to the coast, northwest of Lake Chapala and southeast of the peninsula.

Visible in the lower left quadrant are von Kármán vortex streets, parallel rows of swirled clouds that form as air currents pass over bluff bodies. In this case, the bluff body is Socorro Island, one of the four volcanic islands in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, belonging to Mexico.